In the House of Lords, Lord Black pressed the Government on what plans it was making for the 75th anniversaries next year of D Day and The Battle of Arnhem.

7,000 people in England admitted to hospital with a stroke last year were already known to have Atrial fibrillation (or AF) but not receiving proper therapy, Lord Black has told the House of Lords.

Lord Black spoke in the House of Lords in support of the Merchant Shipping (Homosexual Conduct) Bill.

Lord Black: “Bowled over” – Journalists’ Charity Award

"Outdated and harmful retransmission fees must go immediately"

On 2nd February the House of Lords debated the Government's Digital Economy Bill. This includes provision for the scrapping of "retransmission fees".

During a debate in the House of Lords about HIV infection on the 1st December,  Lord Black raised the problem of co-infection with HIV and hepatitis C. He also asked what steps the government are taking to also identify, diagnose and treat people who are co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C.

In a debate on the House of Lords Select Committee report on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord Black pointed to the particular problems faced by LGBT communities in conflict zones such as Iraq and Syria.

In a speech in a House of Lords debate on the role of charities in civil society, Lord Black praised the role of animal welfare charities, and paid tribute to the thousands of volunteers who work for them and to the vital service they provide. This is the text of his remarks. 

On 5th September, Lord Black led a debate in the House of Lords asking the Government what plans it had to move to eliminate HIV in the UK. This is the text of his speech.

 Lord Black spoke during the passage of the Investigatory Powers Bill about the importance of the protection of journalistic sources as he attempted, with others, to introduce an amendment that would guarantee their protection. He told the Lords that: “The protection of sources is crucial for investigative reporting, whistleblowing and indeed free and unfettered political debate. Without adequate protection, investigative journalism becomes almost impossible, whistleblowers do not come forward to the press and wider media to alert them to issues of public interest, and political debate becomes sterile and bland.”The full speech is below.